Mike Rowe to keynote AFBF annual meeting

Mike Rowe, the creator and executive producer of Discovery Channel’s Emmy-nominated series Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe, will deliver the keynote address to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 92nd annual meeting on Jan. 10, 2011, in Atlanta, Ga.

More than 5,000 Farm Bureau members from across the nation will gather in Atlanta Jan. 9-12 to hear from distinguished leaders and participate in a grassroots policy setting process that will guide the American Farm Bureau through 2011.

A champion of farmers and ranchers and other hard-working Americans, Rowe has spent years traveling the country, working as an apprentice on more than 250 jobs that most people would go out of their way to avoid. Rowe knows how to get his hands dirty and has worked in just about every industry, including many agriculture jobs.

“We are excited to have Mike Rowe as our keynote speaker,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “Like farmers and ranchers, he’s not afraid to roll-up his shirt sleeves and get his hands dirty. Mike understands that most things that contribute to our standard of living — such as abundant food — are the result of someone else’s hard work, dedication and skill, not magic. I think Farm Bureau members will get a lot out of his message.”

While Dirty Jobs showcases some of America’s toughest occupations, Rowe’s work doesn’t stop at the job site. He’s launched a Web site called mikeroweWORKS.com[2], where skilled labor and hard work are celebrated in the hope of calling attention to the steady decline in the skilled trades and dwindling enrollments in trade schools and technical colleges.

In furtherance of his support of farming, Mike is doggedly highlighting the issues facing America’s farming community through his Web site and specifically on his blog “The Future of Farming” www.mikeroweworks.com/2010/08/the-future-of-farming/[3]. Rowe was the keynote speaker at the 82nd National FFA Convention in Indianapolis last year.

Farm Bureau members can register for the 92nd AFBF annual meeting through their state Farm Bureaus.